By Claudia Kalb

The following is a report from a conference held in New York from March 13 to 15 with the theme "Indonesia, the United States and the World Today" sponsored by the Asia Society and the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. This is the first of two articles in a series.

NEW YORK (JP): The tone of the conference was positive with Indonesia's New Order government earning high marks for its economic progress, its role in regional affairs and its efforts at becoming a global player.

The conference, attended by 250 leaders in the state, business and academic sectors, made clear that Indonesia is stepping onto the international stage.

But as Indonesia comes into American focus, so too do sensitive issues like human rights, workers rights and democratization.

In relation to these issues, suggestions and counter- suggestions sparked the dialog, often subtly, sometimes with a strikingly non-Javanese forthrightness.

The conference provided a venue for both Americans and Indonesians to freely ask questions about sensitive issues such as business dealings of top government officials, East Timor and Islam.

Among the speakers were Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Arifin Siregar and United States Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Barry, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Thomas C. Hubbard and Congressman Gary Ackerman who is also chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and Pacific Affairs.

If there was a consensus at the end of the conference it was that Indonesia and the United States need each other.

The gathering kicked off a year-long, countrywide public education project in the United States called "Uncovering Indonesia: Insights for the 1990s."

Aside from discussing the broad bilateral relations, Indonesian and U.S. leaders also questioned more specific U.S. policy decisions, specifically the discontinuation of the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, the blockage of sales of F5 aircraft from Jordan and the linkage of the Generalized System of Preferences to human rights.

Congress was widely condemned by leaders on both sides for making policy decisions based on what speakers characterized as too limited a view of Indonesia.

It was Paul Wolfowitz, dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and former ambassador to Indonesia, who gave Indonesia its strongest endorsement.

"Indonesia has a role to play as a world leader," Wolfowitz said. "Many problems today are going to be history in 10 years. It is important to emphasize the long term and results rather than the short term and a morally comfortable public posture."

Criticizing Congress' removal of Indonesia from the IMET program, Wolfowitz said "I can't think of anything more short- sighted."

Dispensing advice to Indonesia, urging that it recognize the diverse chorus of American voices, should be done with caution and without "overreacting to the more strident voices," he suggested.

"Maybe Americans are ignorant about Indonesia, but it's also true that Americans fall in love with Indonesia. There's lots of good-will here, don't throw it away," he said in warning. "Don't gang up on us."

In reference to human rights and workers rights, Thomas Hubbard said that "I would like to emphasize ... that when we raise these issues, we do so as a friend."

Hubbard praised Indonesia's involvement in regional stability, economic development, participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations and population and family matters.

"Indonesia can be proud of what it has accomplished," he said.

But when asked about the cutting off of IMET, Hubbard said, "Congress blocked it." He called IMET a valuable instrument of foreign policy and said "Indonesia merits that kind of assistance." He blamed Congress also for blocking sales of F5s from Jordan.

Gary Ackerman said Congress's view of Indonesia is driven more by concerns over human rights than by the country's valuable contributions to regional stability, its size, population and strategic location.

Ackerman who sees good bilateral relations as "crucial" said Congress must be educated to understand the delicate balance of human rights in Indonesia with the country's concept of stability.

"We run the risk of alienating Indonesia even before the dialog (on human rights) has started," he said.

In a concluding observation Hubbard said: "We already have a strong and expanding cooperative relationship. But this relationship has not yet reached its full potential."

Ambassador Arifin Siregar noted the minor frictions between the two countries as reflected in U.S. policy. Siregar blamed the media in part for encouraging a one-dimensional view of Indonesia.

"They seem to enjoy Indonesia bashing," he said.

Siregar warned that such a U.S. foreign policy could be counterproductive and called for more American willingness to recognize Indonesia's call for democracy, of which, he said, there is no a "single model."

"There is a fresh and strong wind of change in Indonesia right now," Siregar said. He then warned that the wind could stop at any time or blow in the wrong direction if the United States puts too much pressure on Indonesia's internal affairs."

Robert Barry focused solely on U.S.-Indonesian economic ties. He said at present he was very disappointed about the progress in U.S.-Indonesian trade and U.S. involvement in the Indonesian economy and that it was his personal goal to see both double in size.

"Indonesia represents one of the best, if not the best, opportunity for U.S. trade in all of Asia," Barry said.

Legal restraints on American companies and Indonesian constraints on project financing, Barry said, contributed greatly to difficulties in establishing balanced commercial ties.

Barry barely touched on human rights and democratization in Indonesia, saying only, "improvements are being made."

In response to the debate over U.S. policy linkage to human rights, Juwono Sudarsono of the University of Indonesia appealed to Indonesians to be tough in the face of U.S. criticism.

"We as a nation, as a culture, must mature and be able to sustain criticism," Juwono said.

"The power game in Washington, bewildering as it is, must be addressed," said Juwono, stressing the need to understand the inner workings of the American political system and the role of not only the Congress but the media.

"As we become a factor to be accounted for, we have to live with a world of instantaneous video and satellite television diplomacy," he said.